BUOR Beauty News
Interviewed
By Earker Coleman BUOR Beauty News
HURRICANE HARVEY RECOVERY
How One Houston Area Beauty School Survived .
By : Racheal Young Ogle School Campus Director
Come along as one Beauty School Director tell her story expressing her uncertainty before the storm , allowing us to see their doubts as their optimistic side battled their pessimistic side during the storm , and share with us their reality after the storm .
“ How did your Beauty School Business fair with the devastation that Hurricane Harvey caused ”?
As we reflect on how we were affected , what comes to mind is our Mental , Physical , and financial wellbeing before , during , and after Hurricane Harvey . With any storm the outcomes are unpredictable , yet we rely on the media to keep us informed . At our School we base our decisions on two things , the safety of our schools culture to include our Students , Staff , Clients and secondly the health of our business . Therefore , when Mother Nature decides to interrupt our flow for any amount of time , we feel it . But , it ’ s how we recover that ’ s the most important .
“ So you have quite a large campus , what about 300 students ? Not to mention you ’ re Staff . Can you describe the process on how your company proceeded once you knew escaping Hurricane Harvey was not an options ?
As Tropical Storm Harvey was brewing we were hoping it wouldn ’ t cause much damage for anyone ; however , with the news we feared the worst . We questioned , “ Is this deception or is it time to make a decision . Do we close , do we stay open , do we evacuate , or do we ride it out ”. We decided to stay open and take more of a day by day approach . This was an easy decision because the mayor of the city encouraged everyone to stay put . As history has it , it is possible for a storm to change its course overnight . We understood that we could be out of harm ’ s way or in the eye of the storm with one slight directional change . Morning came and we quickly realized there was no escaping . Tropical Storm Harvey had turned into Hurricane Harvey on a path of destruction heading right for our area .
“ So now that it was apparent Hurricane Harvey was laser focused on visiting and maybe even staying for a while how did your school prepare for the unwanted company ”?
Once Hurricane Harvey ’ s destination was confirmed we closed the campus . We really care about the safety of our people which is more like a family to us . Staff got the word out to our 298 students 14 instructors and a full Admissions department to go home to their families , stay safe , and most of all , communicate their whereabouts daily . I was one of the last Staff members to leave the building . As I was heading out I looked back at the empty offices , classrooms , spa beds , and salon chairs . I quickly said a prayer that this place would once again be filled with footsteps , laughter , education , and legendary customer service .
“ You mentioned you asked everyone to communication their whereabouts , with all the flooding I imagine the communication was not all good ”?
No , it was not all good communication . We all watched the news and tried to stay optimistic that everyone would be ok . The optimism began to fade when our city starting turning into an ocean and the boats started to arrive . Some of our staff and students lost power for days , while others were taken to shelters . As the days went on we watched as thousands of Houstonians lost everything . We looked up and suddenly the rain had another purpose , it could hide the tears on all our hopeless faces .
“ Wow that was well said . And Then ”?
And then the rain stopped . Reality set in . We wanted to help each other , asses all damage , and clean up . The goal was to put our lives back together and re-introduce normalcy .
“ What was it like when you first went back to the campus ? Was it a lot to clean up ? What was the morale like after the storm and how did your company regain the week that was lost due to Hurricane Harvey ”?
I experience the worst cabin fever ever ! I wanted to get out and help , but I couldn ’ t get anywhere because so many streets were still under water . But when I was able to get back to the campus it was the greatest feeling ! We were grateful to walk back into the campus and see minimal damage , with just a few roof leaks . Although grateful , we were equally sympathetic to those less fortunate then we were . Slowly one by one Staff members and Students made their way back to the campus . We all laughed and cried together as we shared heartfelt emotional stories with each other . Our reality is we did not all return the same , some of our lives drastically changed . But , the point was we were all together again . Yes , the business did suffer . Nevertheless , the love flourished and the morale is positive . We as a company will continue to prosper because our values are grounded in Teamwork , Integrity , Respect , Excellence , & Service to the Customer .
But , our story doesn ’ t end here . On Oct 17 , 2017 from 11:00AM – 2:00PM we are partnering with Glynn Jackson ’ s Heal Houston , where we will graciously give back to the community by offering free hair and facial services to Houstonians affected by Hurricane Harvey .